Show A BUDDING AND GRAFTING OF PEACH TREES afi M f 4 14 M F A three scap old triumph peach tree top budded to carman 11 prepared by the united states depart ment of agriculture for various reasons it Is sometimes desirable to change the top of a peach tree from one variety to another A grower may find after his orchard begins to bear that he has a larger num 1 her ber of trees of somo some variety than ho he wants a block of trees may prove to be some other variety than the one ordered or for some other reason a variety la Is not well adapted to the needs of tho the owner in such cases he has recourse to top working the treo tree either by budding or grafting to a desirable variety the ordinary method ot of shield budding Is the one more commonly used tor for this purpose it if the tree to be top worked Is not mare more than two or three years old it Is usually practicable to insert the buds directly into the main limbs well down toward the point where they leave the trunk the illustration shows a 9 triumph peach t tree that was budded to the carman 11 variety when it was three years old after its crop of fruit had been removed the points where the buds were inserted may be seen by reference to the figure it if the tree to bo be top budded has reached the age when the bark on the main limbs has become too thick and firm to be manipulated readily for budding it Is necessary necessary to head it back somewhat as when the top la is to be replaced with new growth ot of the same variety and then insert the buds on the new branches that develop after the tree has been de beaded headed when this course Is followed the buds should be inserted in new growth as near the trunk as la Is practicable in order to have as large a portion ot of the top as possible of 0 the now new variety this Is also alio desirable on account of the subsequent management of the tha tree top working Is sometimes done by grafting instead of budding the ordinary cleft graft Is generally used in such cases lIo however wever budding Is to be preferred especially as the wounds made in grafting do not heal read readily lly in the case of the peach though when properly done the union of stock and scion Is generally strong enough to make a fairly serviceable tree but troubles incident to the difficulties in the healing of the wounds are likely to occur the united states department of agriculture washington D 0 will send interested fruit growers tree free ot of charge its farmers 11 bulletin no on growing peaches which gives in detail much information on the pruning of trees renewal of tops thinning Inter planted crops and special practices of interest to und tind farmers |